There are a lot of factors that have an impact on how long a person lives, including diet and exercise habits, alcohol consumption, environment, medical conditions, and smoking.
However, according to researchers at the University of Chicago, there's another factor that can play a role in one's life expectancy and it is completely out of your control.
One of the keys to living longer is simply having a fall birthday!
According to the study published in the Journal of Aging Research, those born in September, October, and November are likely to outlive those born in any other month.
The researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing data from more than 1,500 people born between 1880 and 1895 who had a lifespan of 100 years or older, and then comparing their backgrounds with about 12,000 of their siblings and spouses.
This method ensured that they could focus on birth month as well as living conditions.
Researchers also offered up a few theories that could be supported by their data, including the fact that babies born during fall aren't exposed to extreme weather conditions, which means there's less stress on their bodies and lower risk of infections.
Additionally, at the turn of the century pregnant mothers were believed to have access to different nutrition at different times of the year.
Some of these theories may not necessarily apply today, but the findings back up the claim that the conditions we experience early in life influence our long-term health and survival.
As for the months with the lowest life expectancy? March, May and July produced 40% less centenarians.
The autumn advantage
In addition to living longer, fall babies have also been found to be more likely to become successful sports stars as they're more athletically inclined than their peers born in the other months, according to a study by Dr. Gavin Sandercock from the Centre for Sports and Exercise Science at Essex University.
"With children born in the Northern Hemisphere, those born in autumn tend to have slightly bigger bone and muscle mass," Sandercock told New York Magazine. "They start off with more muscle, become active earlier [and] then get involved in athletics sooner. It becomes a positive cycle."
Cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and ability to accelerate are all affected by a child's birth month. Those born in April and June have been found to be less athletic.
If you're born in September, there's even more good news for you!
According to a more recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, babies born in September have been proven to have a better chance at being more successful than those born during the rest of the year.
There are a number of reasons why Virgos and Libras are destined for greatness, but the age a child starts school is the biggest factor. Babies born in the ninth month are usually the oldest and most developed in their classes which gives them a huge advantage.
The reason for this is because many states use September birthdays as the cut-off for new students to enroll in kindergarten, so students born in late August tend to be youngest of the class (they're also more likely to lag behind their peers), while September kids often enroll the following school year, making them the oldest among their classmates.
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Researchers also found that September babies have a better chance at achieving higher test scores, getting accepted into good colleges, and are less likely to be incarcerated for crimes. They also tend to develop leadership roles at an early age, which allows them to succeed in nearly everything they do.
Famous successful individuals born in September include authors Stephen King, Agatha Christie and Roald Dahl, KFC founder Colonel Sanders, singer Beyonce Knowles, and actors Idris Elba, Adam Sandler and Colin Firth.
